A sexual inhibition denotes a conservative attitude to or a reservation relating to specific sexual practices.

One might be defined as having high sexual inhibitions in the events of fearing (see erotophobia) or being repelled by any sexual practice or discourse. Alternatively, one might have low sexual inhibitions by unashamedly welcoming a variety of erotic techniques.

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Sexual inhibitions are caused by a number of things. The most common include, but are not limited to, repression of sexual behaviour as a small child, societal restraints on sexual behaviour, ignorance, sexual myths, and disparity in between the partners.

Early conditioning by not only parents and guardians, but society, can play a paramount role in one's sexual inhibitions. When the child is young, s/he begins to understand the concept of gender identity, and begins to associate him/herself as either a boy or a girl. This will also eventually lead to the discovery of the genitalia. Touching/playing/showing of the genitalia is generally considered inappropriate behaviour and the child may be admonished. The child learns the taboo of the genitalia and generally accepts them. If the child witnesses any sort of sexual behaviours between persons s/he is familiar to, after all of this anti sexual conditioning, the child may become confused and thus it may lead to sexual inhibition as the child grows[How to reference and link to summary or text]. However this depends on the response of the child. Many times, if the child witnesses their parent(s) engaging in sexual acts, the child may see them acting frantically, and thus the child would interpret it in a negative manner, again leading to sexual inhibitions[How to reference and link to summary or text]. But if the parent(s) or another party are abusing the child, s/he may grow to engage in more atypical sexual behaviour.[How to reference and link to summary or text]

Society has a profound effect on one's perception of sex. American culture has a decidedly negative attitude about sex, originating from early English settlers' severe and restrictive thoughts on sex[How to reference and link to summary or text]. The English brought these anti-sex ideas with them when they colonised North America, and thus the U.S.'s ideas of sex originated. Parents pass on their anti-sex ideas onto their kids at a young age, but the media imposes conflicting ideas on the youths as they grow older[How to reference and link to summary or text]. People who do not know how to cope with the conflicting attitudes regarding sex may suffer from certain inhibitions upon reaching adulthood.

Dyspareunia is painful penetration. Usually it is physiological, but in a few cases it is psychological due to the woman's needless belief that she cannot accommodate a large penis[How to reference and link to summary or text]. However this fear is groundless, as the vagina is quite capable of accommodating quite the healthy sized penis.